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The plight of queer bars in Toronto during COVID-19
The plight of queer bars in Toronto during COVID-19
With so few queer spaces left in the city, these bars have been forced to close after facing astronomical rent and growing debt By Julia Mastroianni
Michael Nedelko
Former The Beaver employee, satanic sex clown Pickles Lavey, photographed within the bar after it officially closed.
When the pandemic hit in March, Adam Cowan, co-manager of Toronto queer bar The Beaver, says the decision to shut down was pretty inevitable and immediate.
“It was already a labour of love more than something profitable and we knew it would turn into a money pit at that point,” he says.
NOW Magazine
These 22 Toronto live music venues closed in 2020
Music venues were already in a precarious position, but the pandemic has made many disappear this year By Richard Trapunski
The Mod Club was one of the biggest venues to call it quits this year.
Toronto music venues were in a precarious position before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, but now the situation is dire.
Most venues have been closed for nine months now, but there are some exceptions. A few hosted small, socially distanced shows in the summer when public health protocol briefly allowed for it, and many pivoted to livestreaming. And this was the summer of drive-in concerts and balcony jazz.